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By Anthony Vargas, Reporter
PRESIDENT Gloria Arroyo will
support the Catholic Church’s stand on population control until
she finishes her term, a senior member of the Catholic Bishops
Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) revealed on Monday.
CBCP Chairman on Episcopal
Commission on Family and Life Bishop Paciano Aniceto of Pampanga
assured that the President has already expressed her full backing of
the church’s stand on family planning during their recent meeting
to Malacañang.
“She will confirm it during her
State of the Nation Address [SONA]. The government will promote
natural family planning. No to abortion,” Aniceto said in an
interview over radio Veritas, a Church-ran radio station in Manila.
Mrs. Arroyo is set to deliver her second to the last SONA when
Congress resumes session on July 28.
The bishop from Pampanga, the
home province of the President, noted that they were able to
convince the President to oppose the pending reproductive health
bill in Congress.
“We told her of the possible
ill effects of the reproductive health bill to the Filipinos such as
it [bill] destroys the morality of parents,” Aniceto said, adding
that the President guaranteed them that the government will always
push for the natural planning.
“The reproductive health bill
could be anti-constitutional, anti-life and even anti-economics,”
Aniceto added.
Moreover, Aniceto claimed that
Mrs. Arroyo has pledged to reallocate the P1 billion for the
reproductive health bill and use it to promote natural family
planning method instead.
Aniceto also commented on Ozamiz
Archbishop Jesus Dosado’s statements that suggest that Catholic
lawmakers who are supporting the reproductive health bill should not
be given a holy communion.
“I’m open to that, but you
have to assess and evaluate the situation,” Aniceto said.
But women’s party-list group
Gabriela was quick to condemn Dosado’s assertions.
“The bishop’s [Dosado]
statement virtually attacks those who seek to give education and
reproductive healthcare alternatives to women in our country where
about 10 to 12 mothers die every day due to pregnancy-related
causes.” said Rep. Liza Maza of the Gabriela party-list said.
“Besides, none of the bills
pending in the House of Representatives endorse abortion as a method
of contraception,” she added.
--With Sammy Martin
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